Margaret Mary BarryONZM (born 5 October 1959), generally known as Maggie Barry, is a New Zealand politician and a member of the House of Representatives, first elected in the 2011 general election. She is a member of the National Party, and was the Minister for Conservation, Seniors Citizens, and Arts, Culture and Heritage in the Fifth National Government. Barry has had a long career in broadcasting, including gardening shows, and has a rose named after her.

Early life

Barry's father was an accountant for the railways, and her mother was a florist. Both were strict Catholics. Barry was born in Wellington and went to Erskine College, a Roman Catholic school in Wellington.[2][3]

Broadcasting career

She was a radio and television presenter for over 30 years.[4] She began her broadcasting career in 1986 on National Radio's Morning Report and moved on to Nine to Noon in 1990. In 1992 she was a news interviewer for TV2's Counterpoint, and she was news presenter for Primetime in 1993.[3][5]

Member of Parliament

First term

Barry was interested in standing for the National Party in the 2011 Botany by-election, but did not become the candidate.[10] She was selected as the National candidate for the safe seat of North Shore in May 2011 after the sitting MP Wayne Mapp decided not to run in the 2011 general election.[11] Placed in number 57 on the National Party list,[12] Barry was elected to Parliament by winning the electorate vote with an increased majority of 41.87% over her nearest rival, a Labour Party candidate. She also increased the Party Vote to 62.16%, 45.9% clear of the Labour Party.[13][14]

She became a member of the Finance and Expenditure Select Committee upon entering parliament; she was appointed its Deputy Chairperson in 2013.[15] In 2014 she became Chairperson of the Local Government and Environment Select Committee, and stood down from Finance and Expenditure and instead became a member of the Education and Science Select Committee.[15]

During the 2011 election campaign Barry was spat at in Devonport, which appeared to shock her.[16]

When Bill English became Leader of the National Party, and subsequently Prime Minister, he disestablished the post of Minister of Broadcasting absorbing it into Barry's Arts, Culture, and Heritage Portfolio.

Minister of Conservation

As Minister of Conservation, Barry launched Predator Free 2050, a programme to ensure that New Zealand's native animals were free from being attached by predators.It looks at controlling predators using community volunteers, private residents, philanthropists and government investment.[21] With over 80% of New Zealand's birds and reptiles endangered, Predator Free 2050 focuses on protecting these species from rats, stoats, possums, weasels and ferrets.[22]

In 2015, Barry urged the SPCA to put down stray cats instead of just neutering and releasing them.[23]

Minister for Senior Citizens

Under Prime Minister Bill English, National launched a policy to increase the superannuation age from 65 to 67.[24] As Minister for Seniors much of the groundwork for implementing this policy will fall under her portfolio.

During the difficulties with the switch over from senior citizens being able to use their gold card on buses, to having to use an AT HOP card, Barry announced that the Ministry of Social Development, in which the Office of Seniors sits, will be assisting with the changeover.[25]

Third term, onto the opposition benches

After the 2017 General Election, Barry retained her cabinet portfolios as Caretaker Minister. However once Winston Peters announced that he was to form a coalition with the Labour Party, National returned to opposition and Maggie lost her government roles. She retained her position in the Party's ranks and her role within the Party as Spokesperson for Conservation.

Barry did retain her electorate seat with a majority of 12,716, down on 16,503 the previous election, despite her personal vote only falling by a few hundred.[26] She was elected Deputy Chair of the Environment Select Committee.[27]

Personal life

She has never married. Her partner, Grant Kerr, is a lawyer.[3] She has a son.[30]

A Hybrid tea rose dark pink rose has been named after her.[31] In the late 1990s she was a lay representative from the National Health Committee advising the Minister of Health, and was involved in reports on palliative care, cancer, and maternity services. She was the Chair of the Board of the New Zealand Book Council in 2006.[5]

She has been a patron for the Mary Potter Hospice,[32] Alzheimer's Wellington, and Hospice New Zealand.[30]

On 4 July 2014, Barry said that she was groped by Australian entertainer Rolf Harris when he was in New Zealand during the 1980s and she was recording an interview she hosted from Palmerston North. She said that Harris "came into the studio and they sat down and then he started to do the old wandering hands thing and she stood up and said 'well you can stop that right now'." Barry also said that he turned nasty on her before switching his charm back for the interview.[33][34][35] At the time, a similar celebrity sexual conduct case was in the news, and retired parliamentarian Rodney Hide taunted Barry in his newspaper column, urging her to use her parliamentary privilege to breach the name suppression order against the defendant in the Queenstown suppressed indecency case.[36]